William keaemeb



D E to the top of the shoe or gaiter.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM KRAEMER, 6F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF OF HIS RIGHT TO CARL GO'ITFRIED VON PLATEN.

SHOE-FASTENING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 225,477, dated March 16, 1880.

Application filed December 24, 1879.

.To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM KRAEMER, of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shoe Fastenings, of which the following is a specification.

.The object I have in view is to produce a string shoe-fastening for use on a button shoe or gaiter, or upon a boot, which will not require lacing, and will draw the flaps of the shoe together by simply pulling upon the string, the fastening being so constructed that the string will be entirely hidden from sight, and the shoe or gaiter will appear as if fastened by buttons in the usual manner.

My invention consists in the several combinations of the parts of my device as pointed out by the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof, Figure l is a perspective View of a shoe secured by my fastening device; Fig. 2, a view of a portion of the flaps drawn apart to show the string and the loops; Fig. 3, a sectional view of the flaps through a number of the loops and through the plate for securing the lower end of the string; Fig. 4, a separate view of the plate for securing the lower end of the string, and Fig. 5 a separate view of the hooks for securing the loose end of the string.

Like letters denote corresponding parts in all the figures.

A and B represent the flaps of a button shoe or gaiter or boot. The buttons G of the outer flap, A, have their shanks formed into loops l),'which project through on the inner side of the flap. The other flap, B, has loops E intermediate between the eyelets D and projecting through the flap B from plates F on the inner side of such flap. G is the shoestring, the lower end of which is knotted and drawn under an ornamental plate, H, secured to the top of the shoe. This plate has a tapering groove, h, formed in it, which receives and hides the knotted end of the string, but will not allow it to be pulled through.

The string passes from the plate H through the flap A, and is then laced through the loops Here the loose end of the string is secured by passing it around outwardly-turned hooks I, which project from plates and are riveted to the two flaps of the shoe. After the string is secured its loose end is tucked in the top of the shoe or tied around the leg of the wearer.

To take off the shoe it is only necessary to unwind the string from the hooks and pull the flaps apart, it being intended that the loops shall be large enough to permit the string to slip easily through them.

To fasten the shoe the flaps are brought together by simply pulling upon the string.

When the shoe becomes loose the loops E can be set farther out upon the flap B.

When the string wears out or breaks it can be conveniently replaced by knotting one end of a new string and threading the other end under the fastening-plate H through the hole in the outer flap and through the loops.

Instead of using the plate H on the outside of the shoe, the lower end of the string can be secured between the flaps, at or near their junction, in any suitable manner, which can be accomplished by passing the string through a loop secured to either or both flaps, or by sewing the string to either flap.

My invention forms a cheap, simple, and eX-' ceedingly convenient shoe or gaiter fastening, and at the same time the string is hidden and the shoe or gaiter appears as if secured by buttons.

What I claim as my invention is-- 1. A shoe or gaiter having lapping flaps and provided with two sets of loops, one set being secured to each of the adjoining and lapping faces of said flaps and a string passed through both sets of loops, the said loops and the string being covered by the outer flap when the shoe or gaiter is fastened, substantially as described and shown.

2. A shoe or gaiter having lapping flaps and provided with a, row of buttons on the outer flap, the shanks of which buttons form loops on the inner face of said flap, a row of loops on the under flap and a stringpassed thr ugh both sets of loops, the said loops and the string being covered by the outer flap when the shoe or gaiter is fastened, substantially as described and shown.

WILLIAM KRAEMER.

Witnesses:

Brena). N. DYER, CARL Gor'rF. VON PLA'rEN. 

